The end of World War One signals the start of a new era in many European countries: monarchies disappear, borders are redefined, democratic constitutions come into force and women in Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and the Baltic States are given the right to vote.

"Men and women are equal": this is how the German Basic Law has described the status of men and women since 1949. Up until 1958, however, husbands still have "the right to make the final decision": a man is entitled to terminate his wife's employment contract if she works without his consent.

The debate surrounding women's rights takes on a whole new dynamic and starts to receive a resounding response from the 1970s onwards. Women's conferences are organized, the "Year of the Woman" is declared and laws are passed to improve the situation for working women.

Women are under-represented in government and in the corporate sector. Although the 1980s saw some successes such as part-time working, women's promotion prospects and earning power are still not as high as that of their male counterparts despite comparable levels of education.